WEBVTT E FORMER PATRIOT WASFOUND DEAD, HANGED IN HIS PRISONCELL.TONIGHT A NEW LEGAL BATTLE ISBREWING.THIS TIME OVER THE 27-YEAR-OLD'SBRAIN.THANKS FOR JOINING US AT 4:00.I'M EMILY RIEMER.BE AND I'M BEN SIMMONEAU.ED IS OFF.LET'S GET OUT TO NEWSCENTER 5'SSHAUN CHAIYABHAT IN BOSTON TOSORT THIS OUT FOR US.SHAUN?>> JOSE BAEZ IS ALREADY SETTINGUP FOR A FIGHT OVER AARONHERNANDEZ'S BRAIN.HE SAYS ITS BEING HELD HERE ATTHE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICEILLEGALLY AGAINST THE FAMILY'SWISHESBAEZ SAYS HE ON BEHALF OF THEFAMILY, MADE ARRANGEMENTSYESTERDAY WITH THE MEDICALEXAMINER TO DONATE THE BRAIN TOBOSTON UNIVERSITY TO BE STUDIEDFOR CTE.OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CHRONICTRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.IT'S THE DISEASE LINKED TOCONCUSSIONS IN ATHLETES.BAEZ SAYS BU WAS PLANNING TOPICK UP THE BRAIN AT 10:00 A.M.THIS MORNINGBUT OVERNIGHT, HE SAYS THEMEDICAL EXAMINER WENT BACK ONTHAT AGREEMENT TO SHARE THEFORMER PATRIOTS' BRAIN FORRESEARCH, OPTING INSTEAD TOSTUDY THE BRAIN AT THE ME'SOFFICE.IT'S UNCLEAR IF THE MEDICALEXAMINER HAS THE CREDENTIALS TOSTUDY CTE.B.U. IS A LEADER IN THE FIELD.>> THE FAMILY DOES NOT HAVECONFIDENCE IN THIS MEDICEXAMINER'S OFFICE SPECIFICALLYGIVEN THE HISTORY OF THIS CASE,THE HISTORY OF MISSING EVIDENCTHE HISTORY OF MISCONDUCTHE HERNANDEZ FAMILY WANTS TODONATE TO THAT BRAIN TO STUDYCTE AND TO SHED LIGHT ON HOWWHAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HISDEATH.BEAZ STANDS BY HIS STATEMEYESTERDAY THAT HE DOUBTSHERNANDEZ COMMITTED SUICIDE.HERNANDEZ'S BODY IS AT AWATERTOWN FUNERAL HOMECELEBRITY FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTDR. MICHAEL BADEN WAS THERETODAY.HE'S BEEN HIRED TO CONDUCT HISOWN INDEPENDENT AUTOPSY ON AARONHERNANDEZ.BAEZ SAYS IF THE ME'S OFFIDOES NOT RELEASE THE BRAIN SOON,HE'S THREATENING TO TAKEOFFICIALS HERE TO COURT.EMIL WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED ASTATEMENT FROM THE MEDICALEXAMINER'S OFFICE.HERE IS WHAT IT SAYS, "THEOFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICALEXAMINER IS CONDUCTING ANINVESTIGATION INTO THECIRCUMSTANCES OF AARONHERNANDEZ'S DEATH, WHICH MAYREQUIRE FURTHER ANALYSIS OF HIBODY.ONCE THAT IS COMPLETE, THE BRAINWILL BE RELEASED TO BOSTONUNIVERSITY.NO ONE IS GOING TO STAND IN THEWAY OF THE FAMILY'S WISHES FORBOSTON UNIVERSITY TO HAVE AAROHERNANDEZ'S BRAIN."SO THE QUESTION IS WHY WOULDHERNANDEZ'S LEGAL TEAM OBJECT TOTHE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICEFINISHING THEIR WORK BEFOREIT RELEASES THE BRAINYOU HEARD THAT THE CONCERN ISIF THE MEDICAL EXAMINERCONTINUES TO EXAMINE THATBRAINED, WHAT KIND OF EVIDENCEMIGHT BE LOST IN THATINVESTIGATION.

DA: Hernandez cause of death officially ruled suicide

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Updated: 3:43 PM CDT Apr 20, 2017

BOSTON —

A day after Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell, the former New England Patriots player's death has officially been ruled a suicide by the medical examiner.

"Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Henry N. Nields performed an autopsy on Mr. Hernandez on Wednesday and concluded (Thursday) that the manner of death was suicide and the cause asphyxia by hanging," the Worcester County District Attorney's office said.

Hernandez's body had already been released by the medical examiner, but the office retained possession of his brain, drawing criticism and questions from his defense team.

"It is our position that they are holding Aaron Hernandez's brain illegally. They have released the body and withheld Aaron's brain," attorney Jose Baez said Thursday afternoon.

Baez said Hernandez's family wants to donate his brain to Boston University's CTE Center to advance study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

"Now that the cause and manner of death have been determined, the brain will be released to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center as Mr. Hernandez’s family wishes," the District Attorney's office said.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including football players, that can manifest itself as impaired judgment, depression and aggression.

Baez said his team did not know for certain if Hernandez suffered from CTE or if it contributed to his death.

"We will accept the complete investigation and the determination after the investigation is complete. As it relates on whether it is a suicide or not, we don’t make that call until everything is done," he said.

"No one is going to stand in the way of the family’s wishes for Boston University to have Aaron Hernandez’s brain," Public Safety and Security Secretary Dan Bennett said in a statement.

Hernandez hanged himself from a bedsheet affixed to a window in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley. Guards found Hernandez shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Prison officials say Hernandez jammed the door to prevent officers from entering, didn't leave a suicide note and wasn't on suicide watch because he didn't appear to be at risk.

But prison officials, state police and prosecutors declined to comment further or release any records related to Hernandez's death, citing their ongoing investigation.

Hernandez was on the phone with his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, hours before he was found dead, but it's not clear what they talked about, the Boston Globe reported.

The Faggas Funeral Home in Watertown, Massachusetts, confirmed to the AP that it received the body but that funeral services will likely be held elsewhere for the Connecticut native.

Many other questions remain unanswered, including what's to become of Hernandez's estate and why he would kill himself just days after the he was cleared of two murder charges.

Hernandez had been serving a life sentence without parole for the 2013 slaying of a onetime friend.

During his trial in Boston for the killing of two men in Boston in 2012, Hernandez appeared upbeat, constantly backslapping his lawyers, letting out bellowing laughs and blowing kisses to his 4-year-old daughter and other family members in the audience.

The 27-year-old former University of Florida standout died five days after a jury acquitted him in those two deaths, which prosecutors alleged was precipitated by one of the men accidentally spilling a drink on Hernandez at a Boston nightclub.

The apparent suicide left friends, family and his legal team shocked and in disbelief. Many were searching for an explanation to the tragic end of a young man whose football skills at one point earned him a five-year, $40 million contract extension with the NFL's top franchise.

"There were no conversations or correspondence from Aaron to his family or legal team that would have indicated anything like this was possible," Baez said. "Aaron was looking forward to an opportunity for a second chance to prove his innocence. Those who love and care about him are heartbroken and determined to find the truth surrounding his untimely death."